Who We are

Dana Adcock is a rising junior majoring in environmental science and policy and is involved on campus with DukeEngage, Bass Connections, Hoof ‘n’ Horn, Me Too Monologues and Duke Puppy Kindergarten. She is excited to be working with the Kenan Institute and her hometown on this project.

Rand Alotaibi is a junior from Saudi Arabia majoring in Earth and Ocean Sciences with a certificate in Documentary Studies. On campus, she is involved with Duke SOA, Injaz and Duke Arab Association.

Bigyan Babu Regmi is pursuing a bachelor of science in economics at Duke. He's passionate about international development, politics, and policy-making.

Gabrielle Battle is a second-year student from Oakland, California, majoring in Public Policy. She is deeply passionate about racial justice and has worked to advocate for marginalized communities, both in her hometown and at Duke. On campus, she is involved in the Black Student Alliance's Advocacy and Caucasus Committee, and she recently served on the Presidential Council on Black Affairs. She also serves as a research assistant for the Last Child Project at the Kenan Institute, as well as a research assistant at the Wilson Center for Science and Justice at Duke Law School.

Sara Kate Baudhuin is a rising Trinity Junior from Charlotte, NC. She is majoring in a Program II titled "Storytelling as a Tool for Social Change" that explores the ethics of storytelling and how narrative intersects with public policy.

Autumn Burton is an Environmental Science major with a passion for environmental justice advocacy. Her aim is to purse a life of work that will uplift marginalized populations.

Jeremy Carballo is a junior double majoring in public policy and political science with a concentration in normative political theory. On campus, he is involved in GANO and the Chronicle Editorial Board. He is currently a John M. Belk Fellow for the Hunt Institute where he works on educational equity policy. His research interests include structural Marxism, federalism, and amnesty for undocumented childhood arrival immigrants. After college, he plans on attending law school and focusing on constitutional law, or obtaining a masters in international affairs.

Madeleine is a senior from Reston, VA majoring in Public Policy Studies with a certificate in Human Rights and minor in History. At Duke, she has tailored her academic trajectory to understanding how to advance human rights at the intersection of community empowerment, immigration, law, data, and technology. Following college, she hopes to attend law school and work towards developing the underexplored field of data privacy, accountability, and regulation while continuing to empower Latinx communities across the country. In her free time, you can either find her salsa dancing or choreographing for Duke Sabrosura’s Latin dance team, singing with Duke Deja Blue a capella, writing poetry, listening to the Daily, or meditating. She is so excited to be a part of the Rights Writers team and have the opportunity to delve deeper into an increasingly relevant topic as technology bounds forwards at an ever exponential rate, leaving so many questions surrounding the ramifications for human rights.

Darcy Cook is a sophomore from northwestern Connecticut studying Public Policy with a minor in Education. She's really interested in education and education reform.

Mackenzie Culp is a first-year student from Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She intends to major in sociology in order to pursue her interest in the study of racial and gender hierarchies, as well as Spanish and Portuguese. At Duke, Mackenzie is a member of The American Experience FOCUS cluster, the Black Student Alliance, DukeLIFE, and the David M. Rubenstein Scholars Program and hopes to become involved with more student organizations in less abnormal semesters.

Rishi Dasgupta is completely undecided on what he wants to study, but he tells people he is a prospective neuroscience major. He loves cooking and trying new things, and his best friend is his golden retriever, Luna. 

​Meghna is a rising sophomore from Madison, Wisconsin, pursuing a Program II major on the pre-medical track that explores perceptions of aging and dying and their subsequent impacts on healthcare quality and access. She hopes to delve deeper into the intersection of ethics and end-of-life care during her time at Duke and beyond, and in her free time loves to play violin, read good books, and explore new places.

Tessa Delgo is a second-year student from Dunedin, Florida. She intends on double majoring in Psychology and Cultural Anthropology. At Duke, she is an editor for the Recess, the Arts & Culture section of The Chronicle, and works with the Community Empowerment Fund.

Derek Deng is a first-year student from Los Angeles, California, majoring in Public Policy and Visual and Media Studies. On campus, he’s a staff columnist at The Chronicle, and is involved in Blue Devils United and Duke Impact Investing Group.

Antwaine Ellison is a first-year student from Newark, New Jersey, intending to major in Psychology and GSF (Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies).  He’s passionate about Black and LGBTQIA+ youth receiving mental health services. He is also a Cardea Fellow, where he takes coursework to prepare him for his future profession.

Kate is a junior from Chatham, New Jersey. She is majoring in public policy with minors in history and sociology. She also volunteers as a Launch Lab mentor at Kenan. Kate is interested in restorative justice because it focuses on addressing harm rather than ineffective punishment. Last summer, Kate conducted research on the juvenile justice system in New Jersey, so she is especially interested in the power of restorative justice in juvenile justice spaces. She is excited to help spread restorative justice on campus and build stronger communities!

Allison Falls is a first-year student from Richlands, North Carolina, intending to major in Biology. She is passionate about the cross-section of medicine and racial justice. She is involved with Duke LIFE, the Cardea Fellows Program for students pursuing a health-related career, and Camp Kesem, a group that supports children through and beyond their parent's cancer.

Alina is a sophomore from Sunnyvale, California studying biology and statistics. At Duke, she is interested in applying quantitative analyses to scientific inquiry and conducts developmental biology research in the Sherwood Lab.

Kishan Gandham is a rising sophomore majoring in Public Policy and Political Science interested in social justice, human rights, and activism. Through his work with Kenan’s Citizenship Lab, the Community Empowerment Fund, and America Reads/America Counts, he is excited by explorations of how people and their stories can lend themselves to dialogue within communities, something he hopes to do with this project as well.

Maya Ghanem is a freshman from Thousand Oaks, California with interests in the intersection of energy, environment, politics, and healthcare. She aspires to empower populations that are disproportionately affected by climate change both on an individual and systemic level.

Eric Gim is a current sophomore from Fullerton, California. He is intending to major in Economics with a Concentration in Finance, with a double minor in Political Science and Korean. He's passionate about the intersection between racial and economic inequality—especially in its role in influencing access to educational opportunities for marginalized communities. At Duke, Eric is an intern with the Nasher Museum of Art as well as a representative in Quad Council.

Ale is a junior from Miami, FL. She is studying Public Policy and Education with plans to teach after graduation (in Durham hopefully!) before doing a master’s in education policy. She’s interested in restorative justice work because she’s used it in classroom settings – such as this summer while teaching at StudentU, Durham based education nonprofit – and can attest to the fact that it changes the dynamic in the community and the relationships that are fostered. She believes restorative frameworks acknowledge people’s agency and freedom, strives to create authentic, inclusive communities, and repairs harm in a way where multiple perspectives are involved. She hopes it continues to spread into more classrooms so that we aren’t tearing down our students, but building up supportive, understanding communities of learners.

Sunrita Gupta is a rising junior from Atlanta, Georgia majoring in Economics and minoring in Statistics and German. She is very interested in exploring the implications of economic and social phenomena such as gentrification, which is why she chose to spend the summer working as a Housing Intern at the Community Empowerment Fund!

Hadeel Hamoud is pursing a double major in Political Science and International Comparative Studies with a concentration on the Middle East. She plans to attend law school after graduation and, more broadly, continue working on issues related socio-economic inequities among marginalized communities.

Zachary is a Sophomore from Los Angeles, CA studying Environmental Sciences and Policy and Neuroscience. On campus, he is a volunteer for the Duke Puppy Kindergarten, a Duke tour guide, and participates in various activities through Jewish Life at Duke. Zach is interested in how RJ can be used in Duke policy guidelines in addressing harm scenarios on campus, as well as spreading the process throughout Duke in order to create a more diverse RJ community.

Ali is a sophomore from Dallas, TX. She is studying Biology and African American Studies, with hopes of attending law school and working in criminal justice reform. Through her work with Kenan, she hopes to assist many factions of the Duke community in community building and promote unity on campus. As a part of the RJ committee on the Sexual Assault Prevention Team on campus, she is also working to incorporate RJ practices to address harm within the Greek community. When she isn’t doing schoolwork or participating in campus organizations, Ali likes to read, hike, and listen to music.

Carolyn Huynh a junior from Dallas, Texas, and is an alumna of Project Change. She is considering co-majoring in Global Health and Neuroscience and is interested in the field of integrative medicine. You can usually find her drinking coffee at Vondy, watching Worth It Buzzfeed videos, or doing both at the same time.

Isabel is a senior majoring in Political Science with a concentration in Security, Peace, and Conflict Studies. On campus, she is involved in the Duke Program in American Grand Strategy, runs the Duke Moot Court team, and competes with Duke Debate. Last Summer, Isabel interned at the Institute for the Study of War. She is originally from Detroit, Michigan and plans to move to DC to work in foreign policy after graduation. Isabel speaks Romanian and French. Her blog posts will deal with the intersection of post-conflict reconstruction and human rights through a series of case studies on effective and ineffective models of ethnic and sectarian power sharing

Gautam is a rising sophomore in the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences pursuing majors in Public Policy and Economics. Outside of the classroom, he loves music and sports and is interested in issues of economic and political justice.

Alexia Jackson is a first-year student from Centennial, Colorado, intending on majoring in Political Science and Public Policy. On-campus she is involved in the American Futures Institute, where she leads projects centered around elections and democracy, and is a member of Business Oriented Women.

Ashil Jhaveri is a rising junior from New Jersey double-majoring in Political Science and Computer Science with a minor in Economics. He is interested in tech policy and data science, and on campus he works with Duke Votes, Duke Political Review, and the Durham Literacy Academy.

JJ is a sophomore from Toronto, Canada, majoring in Economics with minors in Psychology and Sociology. She loves learning about consumer psychology, decision science, and ethical technology. Some of her favourite hobbies include thrifting, cooking and watching crime TV shows.

Chris is a junior from Rome, GA. He is a history major and chemistry minor following the pre-health track. He is interested in the ways that the humanities can be included in spaces they are traditionally not addressed, such as medicine. He already uses restorative justice for community building in his organizations, and looks forward to exploring ways it can be introduced into student groups’ policy for addressing harms caused by members. 

Justin is a junior from Irvine, CA majoring in Public Policy and minoring in History and Statistics. In his studies at Duke, he has explored deeply the relationship between race and national origin and their effects on human rights and the distribution of policy outcomes. In his spare time, Justin is heavily involved in the music scene at Duke. He is a cellist in the Duke Symphony Orchestra and also produces Hip-Hop/House music for Small Town Records. Upon graduating, Justin hopes to pursue a career in corporate social responsibility.

Erica Langan, along with being a rising junior majoring in Biology and minoring in Linguistics, is also a runner, violinist, writer, and native Cincinnatian. At Duke, she is an undergraduate researcher in the Tata lab, a Huang Fellow, and on the executive board of the American Medical Women’s Association.

Michael is a rising third-year who is majoring in biology and minoring in English. He is originally from Chicago, IL, and he is looking forward to becoming more connected with his local community through this project.

Sophia Li is an undergraduate student from Acton, Massachusetts pursuing a major in Neuroscience and a minor in Photography. As someone who values slower living and cherishes the everyday moments in life, she strives to inspire people to pay more attention to their connection to the different people around them and the world we all share.

Maya is a freshman who was born in Denmark but grew up in the Boston area. She is considering a major in International Comparative Studies with a minor in Environmental Policy and a certificate in Human Rights. She is currently in the Ethics, Leadership, and Global Citizenship Focus Cluster where she is involved with Launch Lab through the Kenan Refugee Project. She is also a Green Devil working with the Sustainable Duke office and an executive on the activism committee for the Duke American Sign Language Club. In her free time, you can find Maya out sailing, hiking, or at the rock wall in Wilson Gym. She is excited to be writing about the intersection of immigration and human rights in the United States.

Catherine is a junior studying history and education. She is passionate about educational equity and nonprofit work.

Kyle Melatti is a sophomore and future public policy and economics double major interested in ethics and ethical decision making as a part of the political process. He currently serves as a Senator for Duke Student Government on the Committee for Durham and Regional Affairs and also has a secondary appointment to the Senate Judiciary Committee. In his free time, he attends talks and presentations offered by the University to learn more about the issues going on in the world and what can be done to help. 

Matt Mohn is a first-year student from Houston, TX intending to major in Public Policy with a certificate in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He is passionate about the ways that people’s lived experiences shape the way that communities vote and evolve. At home in Texas, he contributes to anti-gerrymandering campaigns but on campus he is a member of DIRA and Duke Debate.

Charlotte is a Freshmen from London, UK who loves to sing and beat random GA residents at Ping-Pong. She is passionate about Women’s and Human Rights.

Arya is a Sophomore from Charlotte, North Carolina studying Public Policy and Economics. She has participated in various Kenan programs including the Focus Program, the Kenan Refugee Project and Project Change. She is particularly interested in Restorative Justice because of the power it has to strengthen communities and its humanistic approach. Arya is interested in the impacts of development programs for third world countries dealing with economic, social and cultural changes. Outside of school, Arya enjoys reading historical fiction, painting, and hanging out with friends.

Jonah Perrin is a B.N. Duke Scholar in the Class of 2023 from Chapel Hill, NC, who enjoys studying politics, ethics, social justice, and philosophy. He has worked as a grassroots political organizer and preschool teacher, likes music, movies, and museums, and can recite large chunks of The West Wing.

Wesley Pritzlaff is a rising senior from Rolesville, NC and the founder of the Duke Sleight Club, a sleight of hand magic teaching and performing student organization through which he has taught magic at Duke for two years. In addition to sleight of hand magic, Wesley advocates for and promotes positive wellbeing through his position as a DuWell Intern and his professional aspiration to practice physical therapy.

Akshita Raghuvanshi is a freshman in the Pratt School of Engineering. She is interested in biomedical engineering, psychology, and medicine.

Swetha Rajagopal is a second-year student from Chandler, Arizona, who intends to double major in Biology and Global Health. She is passionate about delving into the issues of racial injustice present within the areas of housing, education, and healthcare. At Duke, Swetha is a DSG Senator on the Durham and Community Affairs Committee, and she was previously a Kenan Ethics in Place Fellow, in which she worked to expand access to healthcare for undocumented immigrants in Arizona.

Pratamesh Ramasubramanian is a rising sophomore pursuing majors in Biology and Global Health. His interests lie in tackling the social determinants of health as well as understanding how more equitable healthcare can be disseminated to populations.

Anisha Reddy is a first-year student from Charlotte, North Carolina. She's planning to major in Public Policy with a minor in Sociology. She's passionate about community organizing and grassroots voter outreach efforts, as well as reforming our criminal justice system. At Duke, Anisha is a staff reporter for The Chronicle and a member of the Duke International Relations Association.

Olivia Reneau is 3^rd-year undergraduate student from Niceville, Florida. She is studying Public Policy with a concentration in domestic policy and racial wealthy inequality, history of the American south, and Japanese language. After graduation, she intends to work in policy research before pursuing her PhD in history or economics. She believes that reparations and reconciliation are the key to beginning to mend our fractured country and has a special interest (academic and personal) in these things as a result.

Ashley Shaaf is a first-year student from Hillsdale, New Jersey. She intends to major in Computer Science and minor in Medical Sociology. She is passionate about strengthening STEM education in underrepresented communities and closing the racial and gender gap within the field of Computer Science. At Duke, Ashley is a member of the SPIRE Fellows and Women in Tech.

Miriam Shams-Rainey is a first-year student from Dallas, Texas. She is an alumna of Project Change and is currently in the Ethics, Leadership, and Global Citizenship FOCUS program with academic interests ranging from social policy to music theory. Miriam enjoys writing poetry, thrift shopping, and trying to play pop songs on the violin. She is very excited to be a part of Team Kenan and to examine ethics in the Duke and Durham communities.

Arsha Sharma is a rising sophomore from Charlotte, NC studying Neuroscience with the intention to pursue medicine. On campus, she is a member of the Duke Student Government Research Unit, the Jeremy Kay Lab, First-year Advisory Council, and the Hindu Student Association executive board.

Emma Shokeir is a rising junior majoring in Political Science with a minor in Classical Studies and a PPE certificate, and she plans to attend law school after graduation. On campus, she is a research assistant and is involved with BOW, Duke Women's Water Polo Club, and FORM magazine.

Amelia Shunk is a rising Junior from San Francisco majoring in International Comparative Studies, minoring in History, and Pre-Medicine. On campus Amelia is a team captain of the Duke Women’s Rowing, volunteers with Bull City Fit, is an athletics ACTION mentor, and is a member of CAPE, a program for female athletes that are Pre-Med.

Quinn Smith is a second-year student majoring in public policy from Albuquerque, New Mexico, and is a member of the Chickasaw Nation. Aspiring to create change through storytelling, Quinn grapples with telling hard truths concerning Native American history, existence, and identity. His current project with Duke Gardens will transform the popular attraction into a space that tells indigenous stories. Quinn is a documentarian, filmmaker, writer for The Wellian Magazine, and violinist in the Duke Symphony.

Lukengu Tshiteya hails from Dallas, TX. He loves eating cucumbers and completing jigsaw puzzles. He is excited to make a difference at Duke and in the Durham community. 

Audrey is a junior from Seattle, WA. She is majoring in Public Policy with minors in history and political science, and she is interest in both domestic policy and international human rights. On campus, she is involved with the Community Empowerment Fund addressing housing instability in Durham. She hopes to use Restorative Justice to create more community within the groups she is involved with and on campus as a whole. As a trained RJ facilitator, she has seen the powerful presence RJ has within community and hopes to increase its use at duke. She also is interested in how restorative justice can be used within the US criminal justice system.

Ben Wallace is a second-year student from Apex, North Carolina, studying "Constructions of Race and Racial Attitudes in America" through Program II. He is interested in how he can leverage different mediums, from documentary to data, to investigate racial disparities and advocate for social justice. On campus, he serves as a co-chair of The Chronicle's Community Editorial Board and produces podcasts for Hear at Duke.

Celine Wei is a second-year student from Colleyville, Texas, planning on majoring in Literature and minoring in Sociology. She is involved with the Asian American Studies Working Group and Asian Students Association, as well as an opinion columnist for the Chronicle and a Huang Fellow. In addition, she works with Durham Beyond Policing and is passionate about abolitionist and anti-imperialist organizing.

Liyu was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia but was raised in Montgomery, AL. She uses she/her/hers pronouns. She is majoring in Public Policy and wants to receive the Human Rights Certificate. On campus, she is a Baldwin Scholar and works for the Outreach committee to design meaningful service work. She is the Vice President of Duke NAACP, Head of Content for The Bridge, and Programming Chair for Duke Ethiopian and Eritrean Student Transnational Alliance (DESTA). She also works at the Center for Human Rights at the Franklin Humanities Institute. She is interested in social justice and in using the intersectionality framework to make policy decisions and evaluations. After spending her summer in Kauai, Hawaii on a DukeEngage project focusing on sustainability, she became interested in the application of intersectionality to climate change and environmental disaster response. Her blog posts will focus on the human rights issues that climate change raises.

Maya is a junior double majoring in ICS (focus Latin America & the Caribbean) and Cultural Anthropology with a certificate in Latin@ Studies in the Global South. She is a residential assistant and is also involved with a few cultural organizations on campus such as The Bridge and Mi Gente. She's interested in U.S. immigration policy and Brazilian identity politics and plans to explore these issues more profoundly as a Foreign Service Officer.

Justin Zhang is a rising sophomore from Shenzhen, China intending to major in philosophy and political science. In his spare time, he enjoys fishing, cooking and watching films.

Jenny is a junior from Denver, Colorado, majoring in Biology with minors in Global Health and Chemistry. She is a passionate advocate for the right to quality health care and hopes to one day work as a physician in underserved communities around the world. Jenny explores her interests through her research at the Duke Global Health Institute and at KCMC Hospital in Moshi, Tanzania, developing interventions to decrease harmful alcohol use in Tanzania. Jenny is also an EMT with Duke EMS and president of TEDxDuke. In her free time, she enjoys watching documentaries, hiking, and taking falls like a champ while attempting to ski. Jenny believes that words are powerful, and hopes to use her words to facilitate necessary conversations over the implications of international aid on human rights in global health.

Megan Zheng is a junior from Tampa, Florida who is majoring in biology and aspiring to be a doctor working in orthopedics. She loves backpacking, climbing, and learning how to identify plants and animals.